MILAN – Casa Milan has opened its doors and will become far more than a simple headquarters.

The club are projecting a new meeting space between fans, players and club employees as well as providing up to 30 new jobs for the city.

Club CEO Barbara Berlusconi as well as Japp Kalma, Milan’s Marketing director and architect Fabio November were on hand today for the official presentation.

Here’s what the protagonists had to say today during the official presentation of Casa Milan, the club’s new headquarters.

Barbara Berlusconi:

“First of all I’d like to thank Japp Kalma and Fabio November for their contribution to this project.

Today is the fruit of two years of dreams for both myself and many other people.

AC Milan is much more than a business and is in fact more like a family and we needed a bigger house.

It was sad to leave the club’s historical headquarters in Via Turati, but Casa Milan is now much more than a club headquarters.

It’s a courageous operation which will help our brand to grow and will become a key asset for the club.

It’s a tough time economically but we all have a lot of belief in this club and this new headquarters will provide a new development model for us.

The commitment of my family towards the club has never been lacking. This project is part of a wider commercial strategy which will increase club income and allow us to invest in new players.

Our three year plan is to develop commercial opportunities through a structured marketing and merchandising operation especially in Asia and the Middle East.

A new stadium of our own is a possibility that we’re looking at and one that would allow us to compete with more economically powerful clubs in Europe.

What we’re trying to create is union and participation through the club museum, the club store, (managed directly by the club for the first time) and the club restaurant.

The location in Portello is a strategic one, close to the stadium, and we hope that we can increase Milan’s social commitments which have always been a priority for us.

We hope that in the future, the fans will gather here to celebrate future victories”.

Fabio November, Casa Milan architect:

“I’m very proud of the structure of this new project. I sarted with the input given to me by Barbara Berlusconi. Milan is the English name for this city and as they saying goes, Nomen Omen, destiny in name. the word ‘Man’ is also in the name and that’s the centre of everything.

We’re trying to establish a new type of humanism in the dynamism of the pulsing structure.

We’re like an antenna which wants to communicate with the rest of the world. When we speak of men and emotion, we want to do it in the simplest way possible.

We always play in teams and football is a wonderful sport because of this, I love it. Sport is fundamental for recognizing the structure of rules.

The club will be 115 years old this year and like the saying goes, “You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing”.

Japp Kalma, Milan Marketing Director:

"It’s a new structure looking ahead to the future of the club. The visitors will enter from the piazza to the new Museum called ‘Mondo Milan’, Milan World.

We don’t just want to speak about the past but also the present and the future.

It’s 1000 square meters with the history of the club told in many different ways through video, photos and the various themes of the various ages told interactively in an original manner.

After that you get to the Trophy Room with all the victories of the club over years Following this you get to the ‘Via dei Campioni’, a sort of hall of fame.

The next sector of the tour leads to ‘Milan nel Mondo’. Or ‘Milan in the World’ showing the club on a more global scale.

There will also be a contemporary museum dedicated to our Ballon d’Or winners.

Technology is fundamental throughout the project. We’re already making apps for Smartphones.

After the museum, you get to the Milan Store which is accessible directly from the piazza. Rather than simple shop, we wanted to create a Store Experience with exclusive and limited edition products unavailable anywhere else in the world.

The restaurant will have space for 160 people open from 8 in the morning to midnight. In the morning it’s a coffee shop and at lunchtime it turns onto the canteen for employees and a restaurant at night where matches can be seen.

It’s not a themed restaurantbut all the food will be based on what the players eat, so quality products and fresh ingredients.

Tickets will also be available for purchase and there’ll be a big screen out on the piazza showing images of the team and the Italian matches during this summer’s World Cup will also be shown there.

Free Wi-Fi will be available and the piazza will be used for commercial events and initiatives as well”.

There was then a Q&A session with CEO Barbara Berlusconi the first to answer questions:

"I hope Casa Milan becomes a reference point for the club. We left our hearts in Via Turati at the old headquarters, but it didn't allow us to be in contact with our fans.

We’re doing this for them. We had a trophy room which was also a meeting room. It wasn't ideal. It was complicated for fans to pay a visit.

I spoke with CEO Galliani and we wanted to give fans more freedom. This new headquarters will allow us to undertake many new initiatives, not just commercial ones.

The main square allows us to host numerous events. We want to give something special to the fans."

The CEO continued: “One of our aims is to increase our presence in the Middle East through our partnerships with our sponsors. That isn’t enough and there are no limits.

We have 140 million fans in the world and only 22 million in China.

There is a whole world waiting for us. Commercially speaking, we need to develop Casa Milan.

Next week we’re heading to the United Arab Emirates. Direct contact is fundamental as well as retail. We’re looking to export this model in other cities across the world.

In the USA we’re looking into a different kind of project, that also focuses on health and well-being through the Milan Lab in addition to football. There is a lot of business potential. In the next few months we will update you all.”

Barbara Berlusconi continued on the commercial theme: "We need to alternate our revenue streams. 60% of our income comes from TV money. We need to balance the books. One way is to invest in commerce.

We believe in Casa Milan. There will be time to evaluate the merits of this initiative. I’ve been going to the stadium since I was a little girl.

I grew up there. I’ve received a lot of advice from my father. He speaks to me about tactics, but after a certain point, he speaks with CEO Galliani about tactics, which seems right to me! We’re on the back of some good years. 3 years ago, we won the Scudetto. Sport goes in cycles. In the past 30 years, we've been excellent.

It’s not a year that will have a bearing on investors’ decisions. Milan’s value can’t be reduced to just one season. I’m sure that investors want to continue working with Milan. I’m optimistic about the future. Juventus overtaking Milan? The stadium and the fans were key.

As with regards to our thoughts about the balance between investing and revenues, I think we’re at a stage in which we want to push commercially.

Our revenue is competitive. Over 80% of it is then reserved for the sporting side of the club. An increase in the club’s revenue is fundamental though in order to compete with the biggest clubs. We need to grow quickly."

There was also a comment about plans of a new stadium: "The stadium is vital. To make a step forwards, the construction of our own stadium is a priority.

It’s complicated though in Italy. However, we’re evaluating various options. The Expo Area in Milan has been spoken about, but there are others. In the design of our stadium, we want to take a different route.

We also have to take into account the large investment, which means that commercial aspects are of vital importance. We’re also focusing on the site. In terms of time-scale, we’re ready to start the works.

We’ve got a good plan of the project under the guide of architect Fabio Novembre, but we’ve still got to take care of other issues which are out of our hands.”

Finally, the club’s CEO denied all rumours about a potential sale of the club: "There’s been reports about a sale of the club, but it’s not true. We believe in this team. We want to obtain the best results.

A partnership would be considered. For the construction of a new stadium for example, a partnership would be of great help.

Our next visits to Asia and USA are with this aim in mind. My relationship with CEO Galliani is extremely good and we’ve found a new common understanding and vision. As for the fans, their role has to be respected.

Everybody wants to see their team win. These delicate moments need to be dealt with and we’re working with them.

I’m hoping that we can make peace again through our results. In the past 2 years we’ve dealt with the losses in a significant manner. We’ve always invested a lot in the club and we’ll continue to do so.

However, a single commercial initiative isn’t enough to resolve this. Various initiatives will give renewed energy to Milan and Finivest.”

MILAN – Milan has a new, modern and functional headquarters of 9.000 square metres. Casa Milan won’t just be a site for the club’s staff, it will also be for rossoneri fans from Italy and all over the world that want to pay a visit and discover our values and history. An open space in Milan, Italy and the world from the end of May 2014.

The objective is to create an exciting and entertaining experience to all those who want to visit us in a unique place where the concept #weareacmilan is experienced to the full.

A shard passion and participation with the club, with the aim of bringing employees, footballers, fans, lovers of sports, Italians and tourists together.

Those aims are what led to the idea and the decision to build Casa Milan, a place that is able to meet the increasing commercial, entertainment and development needs for the benefit of the club.

We’re planning for the future and the new headquarters is just the first tangible result of our desire to change and to innovate.

From the biggest fan who wants to live his passion for the rossoneri to the full, or a person who is merely interested in paying a visit and spending time at the state of the art facilities, this unique site caters for everybody.

Casa Milan, designed by the architect Fabio Novembre, fits in with AC Milan’s goals and vision of renovation and expansion which was strongly desired by the club’s CEO and Vice-President Barbara Berlusconi.

The location site Portello
Milan chose to construct the new headquarters in the Portello area because it is close to the stadium and in a position in which it is easy to reach Milanello.

The Portello redevelopment area also represents the dynamism associated with the club’s current development plans.

The facade
The facade of Casa Milan encompasses all the themes that will be dealt with inside the building.

There are also sculptures of athletes who are in a shooting-pose which then generates a black and red colour effect to represent the black and red stripes of Milan’s playing shirt.

The offices
3000 square metres of office space are available to the staff. The offices were built with functionality and modern-design in mind.

Milan Museum
Thanks to the right mix of rare club relics and modern technology, the fans will be able to relive the glorious 114 year history of the club in the museum of 1000 square metres.

A complete journey that takes you through the Gallery of Champions to the Winners of the Ballon d’Or and not to mention the Trophy Room with the most significant and prestigious trophies won by the club.

The experience can be personalised and is completely interactive thanks to the partnership with Google and the latest technologies.

The experience at the museum has been catered to satisfy all needs and all target groups, from children to adults.

Milan Store
The new Milan Store of 450 square metres can be reached directly from the museum while there will also be an alternative Experience Store in the main square which will offer club merchandise, official playing shirts and club playing gear in addition to exclusive products.

A new feature of the Milan Store will be the bookshop, where books dedicated to AC Milan, its history, key members and playing shirts will be sold.

The Milan Store will be open every day from 10.00-20.00 while on Thursday it will remain open until 22.00.

Ticket Office
At Casa Milan it will be possible to buy tickets for all Milan matches at the San Siro. The opening hours are the same as the Milan Store.

Milanello Restaurant
A restaurant of 450 square metres will be open to the public from 08.00 to 24.00 and will offer a complete menu from breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks.

Like all aspects of Casa Milan, the restaurant has been designed with the intention of satisfying all tastes.

Like the restaurant at the Milanello Sports Centre, it promises to offer quality dishes in line with healthy eating while the various TV screens will also show all Milan matches and the best international sporting events.

The Main Square
The Main Square in which Casa Milan is found is amongst the biggest in Milan: 25.000 square metres.

It will be a meeting place for fans where they can celebrate the team’s sporting success which the club hopes is just around the corner. It is a symbol and reference point for all Milan fans.

Big Screen TV for the World Cup
A big screen TV will be installed on the outer surface of Casa Milan which will show previous clips of Milan’s greatest triumphs and protagonists that helped make history.

Moreover, matches from this summer’s World Cup in Brazil 2014 will also be shown on the screen.

Wi-Fi network
Casa Milan and the main square will be equipped with a free Wi-fi service thanks to AC Milan, a testimony to the importance that the club gives to the latest technology.

The availability of a Wi-Fi network came about in order to achieve the club’s aim of making Casa Milan a meeting point in people’s leisure time.